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President Biden Announces Executive Order to Reduce Gun Violence and Expand Mental Health Access

  On Wednesday, March 14, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order aimed at reducing gun violence in America. Last year, with the number of mass shootings on the rise, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, ...

Arkansas Becomes Nineteenth State to Sign Interstate Counseling Compact into Law

The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines moves toward reality as Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law her state’s Counseling Compact legislation.  This milestone marks the nineteenth ...

Medicare Implementation Planning Underway

On March 9, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Practitioner Services for Medicare and the �ֲ���ý (ACA) met to discuss program implementation. �ֲ���ýhas identified four areas in which we have ...

President's Budget Proposes Additional Funds for Mental Health

On Thursday, March 9th, President Biden released the FY2024 Budget Proposal, amounting to $6.9 trillion. The budget is based on four key values: (1) lowering costs for families, (2) protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, (3) investing in ...

White House: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Among Young Black Men

On Tuesday, February 28th, the Biden-Harris Administration held a conversation titled Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Among Young Black Men. Led by Ambassador Susan Rice and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, the discussion centered on addressing ...

�ֲ���ý Elects Christine Suniti Bhat as 73rd President

Dr. Bhat Will Serve as President-Elect Beginning July 1 Alexandria, Va. (February 9, 2023) – Christine Suniti Bhat, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Counseling & Higher Education at Ohio University, will begin her term as ...

Wyoming Becomes Eighteenth State to Sign Interstate Counseling Compact into Law

The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines moves toward reality as Governor Mark Gordon signed into law his state’s Counseling Compact legislation. This milestone marks the eighteenth state to sign the ...

President Biden Delivers the State of the Union Address: What to Expect for Behavioral Health

  On Tuesday, President Biden delivered his annual State of the Union Address, in which the Administration called for partisan unity, emphasizing the need for Congress to work together on legislation to move America forward. Topics covered ...

2022 GAPP Year End Report

Due to many challenges facing our nation, 2022 began as a year of uncertainty within the halls of Government. But it was also one of collaboration and progress for the �ֲ���ý, and the counseling profession. Read the 2022 Year ...

Federal Funding for Counseling

The $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill (also known as “spending legislation”), is the year-long federal government spending package that will keep the federal government operating through the end of the fiscal ...

�ֲ���ý Names New Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

�ֲ���ý Names New Chief Communications and Marketing OfficerStacy Brooks Whatley Joins ACAAlexandria, Va. (January 25, 2023) – The �ֲ���ý (ACA) has named Stacy Brooks Whatley as chief ...

We Did It! Medicare Reimbursement Now Law

For over a decade, the �ֲ���ý and its partner organizations have advocated for the successful passage of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 828/H.R. 432). Although this bill has previously passed the U.S. House ...

The Mental Health Access Improvement Act Included in FY 23 Year End Funding Package

Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee published the legislative text for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus package H.R.2617, titled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.  Of note, we’re excited to share the following ...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Strengthens Access to Behavioral Health Resources

In line with the 2022 CMS Behavioral Health Strategy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is strengthening access to vital behavioral health services for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing behavioral health clinicians like ...

Counselor Advocacy Matters to Medicare Reimbursement Success

 On Thursday, September 22, the �ֲ���ý shared the promising news that the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee voted to move the House version of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (H.R. 432) to full ...

Counseling Compact Commission: �ֲ���ýVoted in as Ex-Officio Member

On October 26, during the Inaugural Meeting of the Counseling Compact Commission, the �ֲ���ý (ACA) was voted on and approved as an ex-officio member of the Compact Commission. This role will allow �ֲ���ýto have a voice at the ...

The White House Announces Millions of Dollars in New Funds for States to Tackle Mental Health Crisis

On October 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced a new funding opportunity, authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ...

The Department of Education Rolls Out Student Loan Forgiveness Site [Updated]

The Department of Education is now ready for qualifying borrowers to submit their applications for loan forgiveness – up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for federal loan holders. The federal website was launched on October 17, ...

AmeriCorps Recently Announced a New Round of Funding to Address Public Health Needs

Public Health AmeriCorps, launched in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a $400 million investment to engage new communities and individuals in public health, recruiting, and building a new workforce ready to respond ...

�ֲ���ýNamed in ?Mental Health Matters? Legislation

The Mental Health Matters Act (H.R.7780), which mentions the �ֲ���ý (ACA) by name, was officially reported by the House Education & Labor Committee to the full House and subsequently placed on the Union Calendar ...